Washington Election Observer Free To Carry His Gun

[etherealtruth]

13. This speaks to the larger issue of voter intimidation or the potential for intimidation

Noting voting fraud occurs, but has a very low rate of occurrence. Voter intimidation has become a significant problem.
Having a partisan person "standing behind you, holding a gun," he said, could easily be disruptive or intimidating.

http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/sep/19/election-observer-ok-to-wear-gun-open-carry/
Lee Jensen of Battle Ground was serving as an election observer with Halle during the primary elections. Jensen, also a gun owner, exchanged a few words with Halle but didn't mention anything to him about the weapon. No one did. But Jensen said later it was not the right place to bring a gun.

There is a small room off to the side of the main ballot sorting room where ballots rejected by the county machine are scrutinized by three people attempting to decipher the intent of the voter, Jensen said. It's common for an election observer to stand behind them.

Having a partisan person "standing behind you, holding a gun," he said, could easily be disruptive or intimidating.

Despite disagreeing on the issue, both Jensen and Halle said they are in favor of the civil dialogue the incidence has provoked.

Wisconsin elections board upholds ban on observers' use of cameras

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/elections-board-to-reconsider-ban-on-observers-use-of-cameras-b99315058z1-267958261.html

Madison — There will be no selfies — or any other photos taken by observers — at the polls this August.

The state elections board decided Monday to support a rule banning election observers from taking photos and videotaping what happens at the polls, including selfies and photos of family members.

Conservatives Plan to Use Poll Watchers in Mississippi
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/23/us/conservatives-plan-to-use-poll-watchers-in-mississippi.html?_r=0

Elections experts say that under Mississippi law, outside election observers deployed by political action committees would need authorization from the candidate to challenge any votes. But they are allowed to monitor the election — an effort that Matthew Steffey, an election law expert at the Mississippi College School of Law, said evokes memories of the civil rights struggles of the state’s past.

“Some folks think this is not really about legal challenges to individual ballots, but about dissuading or in some cases intimidating voters from coming to the polls to begin with,” he said.

Election observers proliferate at polls
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/election-observers-proliferate-at-polls/2012/08/24/1452c3ba-ed4f-11e1-

a80b-9f898562d010_story.html

“Just being in the poll and having a presence in the polling place is a deterrent,” said Cathy Kelleher, a Maryland real estate agent who started poll watching and voter-roll inspection efforts after getting involved with True the Vote in 2011. “We’re there so people don’t try to do anything fishy.”